‘Treat ‘em like mushrooms’: The Governmental art of evasion

The urbandictionary.com defines the expression, ‘Treat ‘em like mushrooms’, as politely as any.

Concealing information from someone. Keeping someone uninformed and happy. Keeping management appeased.

Dont tell them anything. Don’t allude to anything.

Treat em like a mushroom, feed em a bunch of shit and keep them in the dark.

Or just

Treat them like a mushroom.

On Wednesday night, 13 December 2023 – nearly a year ago – Fremantle Shipping News sponsored a very well attended Forum at the Old Customs House in Freo’s West End to discuss the Future of Fremantle Vision and Three Scenarios which had then been recently published by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. As the Editor of FSN, I moderated the Forum. It is unsurprising then, that I have more than a passing interest in the outcomes.

After opening 2 minute presentations from Jane Bennett, the Chair of the Future of Fremantle Committee of the Department, Paul Gamblin, Murray Slavin, Peter Newman and Gerry McGill, a lively Q&A followed. It was pretty clear everyone in the room wanted to see the very best and most imaginative planning proposals for the ‘Once in a lifetime’ redevelopment of the area from Fremantle Port to Leighton Beach once the existing commercial Port went south with the development of Westport near Kwinana.

It was a positive and constructive discussion, as Ms Bennett acknowledged on the night.

Following the Forum, Fremantle Shipping News posted Peter Newman’s Reflections on the Future of Fremantle Forum – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Then we posted the text of a Paul Gamblin’s address to the Forum, delivered on behalf of the Leighton Action Coalition, An opportunity to deliver a genuine, positive beachfront legacy for the public good.

Public comment on the Future of Fremantle Vision and Three Scenarios was still in progress at that point, until 15 January 2024, an extremely short comment period given it was punctuated by Christmas and the New Year festive and holiday seasons. Before that the Future of Fremantle Committee had conducted ‘drop in’ sessions at Fremantle Town Hall where folk were invited to drop in and give feedback on the Vision and Scenarios. In any event, I understand many folk put in their submissions before the deadline.

At the Forum we were advised by the representatives of the Department that Ms Bennett’s Future of Fremantle Committee Report would likely go to Government for consideration by April/May 2024.

In the meantime, the related Westport new commercial harbour proposal found its way through Government, and the Shipping News followed it and reported on it, as the numerous articles on the topic to be found on the Shipping News disclose.

April came and went. As did May, June, July, August, September and October with no sign of the Bennett Report or the Government’s response to it.

When, in early November, I wondered where the Bennett Report was at, I made contact with the Department and asked. I learned very quickly that the Bennett Report had indeed been completed on time, had been delivered to Government as we had been advised it would be, and was now with Government for consideration – and that the Bennett Committee no longer existed.

Wanting to know when we the Freo public, who have been so engaged in the Future of Fremantle planning process, would get to see the Bennett Report, the Departmental informant couldn’t say. So I considered the best way forward was to ask Simone McGurk, MLA for Fremantle and also the Minister for Training and Workforce Development; Water; Industrial Relations in the Cook State Labor Cabinet, if she could elicit answers to these questions.

So, on 20/11/24 I emailed Ms McGurk’s Fremantle electorate office in these terms –

I recently inquired of the Department of Planning etc, about where the Future of Fremantle planning process is at.

Those of us closely engaged in the discussions, public events etc late last year and earlier this year, were advised that the Jane Bennett chaired Future of Fremantle Committee within the Department, would be reporting to Government in around April/May this year, having considered all the public feedback, on what urban development north of North Quay to Leighton should look like, and then Government would be making a statement.

I made inquiry of the Department recently and this week received a call to advise me that the Future of Fremantle Committee has ceased to exist following the handing of its report to Government and that a statement from Government is awaited. I have the distinct impression the Committee report has been sitting with Government for the best part of the last 6 months. Still no announcement.

As you know as the Freo MP, the Future of Fremantle deliberations are of the utmost importance to so many around Freo – and of course beyond. I am hoping you might be able to use your good offices, both as the local MP and a member of Cabinet in the Cook Government, to ascertain when the Committee Report and the Government’s response to it will see the light of day. I’d prefer not to be directed to make further inquiries of a range of other Ministers involved in the decision making. From my perspective, the time for all this to have happened is long overdue.

If policy and decision making on the Westport project is considered a reason for delaying the Government’s response to the Future of Fremantle Committee’s report, then that may perhaps be understandable, but it would afford no ground for delaying publication of the Committee’s report to the public without further delay.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

With my kind regards,

When on 28/11/24, 8 days later, I had received no reply from our local MP or her electorate office, I emailed again, in these terms –

On 20 November, over a week ago, I emailed you concerning the Future of Fremantle report of the Committee for the Future of Fremantle.

To date I’ve had neither a substantive reply nor an acknowledgment of receipt of my correspondence from you or anyone on your behalf.

As I propose to post in the topic soon, I should be most grateful to hear from you by 4 pm next Wednesday, 4 December 2024, as my piece on this topic will be posted thereafter.

Many thanks,

This email received a quick reply on 28/11/24 from Ms McGurk’s Electorate Officer, in these terms –

Apologies we haven’t let you know that we are following this up.

I’ve lodged your request with the relevant ministers office, and am currently working with them to make sure we have the most up to date information to provide you with. Will ensure that its before your deadline.

  Kind regards

On 4/12/24 the EO further emailed me to say –

I am still waiting to hear back from the Deputy Premier’s office, but I have raised your concern with them, and am trying to get you an answer as fast as I can.

Kind regards

Note – the ‘Deputy Premier’s office’, not the Planning Minister’s office alone.

On 4/12/24 I replied to the EO, as follows –

Do you think we can put a time limit on it? Christmas is only 3 weeks away!

I’d really like a substantive response by next Monday 4 pm. That seems reasonable don’t you think?

On 9/12/24, the EO kindly assured me –

I have been assured by the minister for plannings office that I will receive a substantive response by tomorrow morning.

Apologies for the delay, Christmas is quite the busy time in politics, both for ministerial offices and local offices.

Kind regards

Now dealing with the Planning Minister’s office alone, it seems, you’ll have noticed.

On 10/11/24, when nothing had arrived from the EO in my inbox, I enquired of the EO –

Do you have it?

Then yesterday, 11/12/24, around lunchtime, this arrived from the EO –

I just received this from Minister Carey’s office, who has coverage over the Future of Fremantle project.

Comments attributed to a State Government spokesperson:

“The Future of Fremantle is the long-term vision for the redevelopment of Fremantle Port, based on the relocation of all freight- related trades from Fremantle, with cruise, ferry and visiting naval to be retained.

“On 11 November, the State Government committed $273million to progress plans for a new port at Kwinana.

“The new container terminal in Kwinana will deliver significant benefits to the State, including, paving the way to unlock around 260 hectares of prime inner urban land in Fremantle, which will support WA’s growing population and deliver homes for around 55,000 people.”

Background information:

* Further information on the Future of Fremantle is available: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-planning-lands-and-heritage/future-of-fremantle

Please let me know if you require anything else.

I have to admit my immediate reaction was one of frustration, as the response the EO had passed on from Mr Carey’s office told us nothing new, just what was in the public space over some time and made no attempt to answer my questions about the Bennett Report and when it will see the light of day, along with the Government’s response to it. It might have said, Yes, we have it, but we don’t plan to release it just yet, or ever, or whatever. But it didn’t. It didn’t address my questions at all!

To say I feel I’ve been ‘treated like a mushroom’ through this process, is an understatement. This Governmental/Departmental/Ministerial response is evasive, to say the least. It reminds me very much of the lessons I learned 30+ years ago when serving as one of the Counsel Assisting the WA Inc Royal Commission, in 1991-92. I learned then that the drafting of answers to PQs – Parliamentary Questions – was something of an ‘art form’. The ‘art’ lay in appearing to say something, but actually saying nothing, or nothing much. And definitely not answering the question asked. It seems fundamentally nothing has changed. I have been given a bland answer carefully crafted to say nothing, to avoid the questions put indeed, in order to avoid any form of openness and public accountability on the issue at hand.

My question was straight forward, black and white: when will the Jane Bennett Future of Fremantle Committee Report be given to the public, and when will we the public know the Government’s response to it. The Fremantle public, especially those attended the discussions and those who took the time to put in a submission, deserve to have the answers. They are entitled to know what has happened with the Bennett Report, what it recommends for the Future of Fremantle area from the Port to Leighton Beach, and what the Government’s response to it is.

All within Government, from the Minister for Planning down, who have been involved in artfully crafting this non-answer to a reasonable and important question concerning the Bennett Report should hang their heads in shame.

Freo people – not to mention so many beyond Freo – are both anxious and entitled to know what has happened with the Bennett Report, what it recommends for the Future of Fremantle area from the Port to Leighton Beach, and what the Government’s response to the recommendations is.

At the very least, right now, having been sitting on Government shelves for it appears 6 months, the Bennett Report should be made public without any further delay, or fobbing off, and without adopting a ‘treat ‘em like mushrooms’ attitude to reasonable inquiries from the media on behalf of the people of Freo.

It seems to me it’s time for Roger Cook, the Premier, to intervene on the side of openness. After all, the next State Election isn’t all that far away.

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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